Thomas M. Foley M.D.

1941 - 2014

Thomas M. Foley, MD

Marshalltown, IA

Thomas M. Foley, MD, FACS, 72, of Marshalltown, IA died Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at the Iowa River Hospice House, in Marshalltown. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 17, 2014 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Marshalltown. Visitation will be held 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 16, 2014 at Anderson Funeral Homes, 405 W. Main Street, Marshalltown, IA. Memorial contributions may be sent to St. Mary's Catholic Church, St. Francis School and Iowa River Hospice. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.

Thomas was born on November 26, 1941 in Elmira, NY to Thomas Matthew and Frances Hilda (Cortright) Foley. After graduating from Sayre High School in Sayre, PA, Thomas attended the University of Scranton where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He graduated from Creighton University's medical school in 1967. While attending Creighton, Thomas met Mary Agnes Willhoft, and the two were married on April 20, 1968 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Central City, NE.

Thomas and Mary raised four children in Marshalltown: Michael (Amy) of Oshkosh, WI, Patrick of Saint Paul, MN, Sarah (Scot) Marcotte of Barrington, IL, and Timothy (Steph) of Iowa City. He was known as "Bacca" to his eight grandchildren: Emily, Michael, and Matthew Foley of Oshkosh, Benjamin Foley of St. Paul, Rachel and Stephanie Marcotte of Barrington, IL, and Julia and Maureen Foley of Iowa City.

Dr. Foley completed his first two years of surgical residency at the University of Kentucky before finishing his residency at the University of Iowa. In 1972, Dr. Foley moved to Marshalltown before serving for two years in the United States Air Force at Ellsworth Air Force base in Rapid City, South Dakota.

In 1974, Dr. Foley moved back to Marshalltown where he joined the general surgery practice of Drs. Reading and Mandsager. In 1996, he joined the McFarland Clinic. He practiced as a general surgeon until his retirement in 2010. He was board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of American Medical Association, the Iowa Medical Society, and the Marshall County Medical Society.

Dr. Foley was actively involved with Emergency Medical Services across the State of Iowa and was an Advanced Trauma Life Support instructor. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Iowa Trauma system and served as chair of the verification and categorization sub-committee of the State of Iowa Trauma System Advisory Council.

Dr. Foley was a co-author of the Rural Trauma Team Development Course for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and was a past Chairman for the State of Iowa for the Committee on Trauma for the ACS. He was also a lead reviewer to verify trauma centers for the ACS Committee on Trauma's Verification Review Committee.

Thomas was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and an active member of Saint Mary Catholic Church and the Saint Mary's Saturday Morning Men's Prayer Group. His hobbies included gardening, model railroading, woodworking, and genealogy. He was an avid reader, sports fan, and supporter of the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was a member of the Elmwood Country Club and the YMCA. He also enjoyed traveling with his family.

Thomas is survived by his family and his brother John (Diane) Foley of Taylor, PA.